Return to Those You Know
by Sassy
Summary: Sally Richards is in Manhattan with her California Youth Orchestra. She meets someone and feels she knows him, but who is he?


Return to those you know

It was nighttime and everyone was asleep. Everyone except for those who lived in a big building next to the Manhattan Distribution Center. In and out, people were coming out, as more people were carrying in boxes and cases. 

They were the Youth Orchestra from California and on a tour around the country. For the next year, they were going to be performing in New York at Irving Hall. This was just for during the morning and early afternoons, since there were other shows going on in the evenings. They'd been happy to get this location because the other places were already booked up when they were making inquiries about whether they could perform or not.

"Ms. Martins, this is the last box," said a tall young man with shaggy brown hair. He climbed up the front steps as she held open the front door.

"Thanks, Randy. Please be careful with that one. It has our supply of reeds. They have to last us until we get back to California," she said as he headed through the door and into the first room on the left.

"I am," he called from the room. She heard a soft thud, so she knew that the box was now on the ground. He walked out and smiled as he stretched his arms. They were tired from all those heavy boxes.

"Ok, everyone," Mrs. Martins called out to the remaining students, who were still lingering outside. "Time to get inside. We still need to get you into your rooms, so you can get ready for bed. Don't forget, you still have to practice. There's not much time till out first performance."

"Alright, Mrs. Martins," they all chimed in as they climbed up the stairs. Now, they realized how tired they were, from the long trip there, from Chicago and from unloading everything. It was strenuous work. All of it was now catching up with them.

They all walked in and she followed them. Shutting the door, she gave them all their rooming assignment. 

***_THE NEXT DAY_***

"Hey, Jack, are ya gonna get up?"

"Huh? What Race?"

"I's asked if yas gonna get up. Ya are gonna go ta work today, aren't ya?"

"Yeah, I's going. Give me a sec," Jack grumbled as he got up off his bed. 

Grabbing his shirt from the floor, he wandered into the bathroom, and got dressed. He was not going to have a good day. Last night, Sarah had broken up with him, so she could go out with someone else. This really saddened him, so he went and sat down at the pier for the rest of the day. By the time he got back, it was time for bed, but he couldn't sleep. All he did was toss and turn the entire night, until he finally fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.

When he returned to the bunkroom, Race and Kid Blink were the only ones still there. Everyone had left already, but they were waiting for him. They wanted to find out what was wrong. Jack knew what they wanted when he saw that they were still there. Reaching under his bed, he grabbed his shoes and shoved them on his feet. Looking up, Jack tried to figure out an explanation for what was wrong with him. He knew that his friends were going to wait until they got an answer.

"What's wrong, Jack? You've been grumpy since yesterday," Race asked.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Kid Blink repeated the question.

"Sarah dumped me last night," Jack said as though it was everyday news. However, deep inside, it was like someone was stabbing his heart.

"What?!" They yelped. Race sat on the bed across from him, and asked, "Why'd she dump ya?"

"I's don't know. She said dat it wasn't gonna work. We was too different," Jack explained best he could. Sarah hadn't really said much about it.

"Don't worry, Jack. If she can't see what good yous are, ya don't need her," Kid Blink told his friend. He hated it when his friends hurt.

"I knows. It just hurts all da same," Jack said as a pained look shadowed his face.

"It will, at least for a while," Kid Blink told him. 

"Sure," he muttered. Grabbing his bandanna he started to tie it around his neck, as he walked to the door. Reaching the door, he saw that Race and Kid Blink were still where they had been. He tried to smile, and asked, "Are ya coming, or are ya going ta sit here and gawk all day?"

"Yeah, we's coming," they chimed in as they followed him out the door.

***_DISTRIBUTION CENTER_***

"Hey, Jack!"

"What?" Jack called out to the voice. He looked around and saw David waving his hands at him from the dock. Walking over to him, Jack saw that David had a worried look on his face. He knew at once what the problem was.

"Are you ok?" David asked when he finally reached him.

"Yeah," he said as he sat down on the dock. "I's fine, or at least da best I's can be."

"I figured. Mom told us what happened with you and Sarah," he explained, once he was sitting down.

"How did yous Ma hear about it?"

"Well," David said. "She overheard you two talking on the fire escape, last night, while she was getting something from the bedroom."

"Ohhh," Jack said in an understanding way.

"I know that what happened between you and Sarah might put a damper on things, but are we still friends?"

"Sure, we's always friends. Nothing can change dat," Jack assured him with a smile.

David looked relieved. He didn't want to lose a friend over hard feelings. Suddenly, they heard screaming and looked around to center. Jack got up, looking for the source of the sound. He realized that it was coming from above. Looking up, he discovered someone was hanging from the ledge of the roof next door. A surge of energy flowed through his body as he flew up the fire escape. 

Upon reaching the person, he saw that it was a young girl of seventeen. She had reddish brown hair and a fair complexion. As he grabbed her hands, she was so shocked that she almost let go.

"Help me!"

"Don't worry, I's got ya. I's won't let ya go. Now pull youself up. Come on," he said as he helped her up. Her feet clawed the side of the building as she tried to pull herself up. Slowly, but surely, she made it up, and finally was on firm ground again.

She was breathing hard, mostly from the fear the she had almost fallen. When she looked at the person, who'd saved her, she was stunned. This was a young man with light brown hair, broad shoulders, tall and gorgeous brown eyes. She thought that he looked about eighteen, maybe nineteen. For some reason, he looked familiar to her, but she couldn't place it.

"Are ya ok?" he asked her when they had both calmed down. He had been breathing hard too because it seemed that he hadn't breathed since he'd heard the screams. Now his lungs were deciding to work again.

"I am now," she replied with a pretty smile.

"What were ya doing hanging from da roof for? Don't ya know dat ya can get hoirt?"

She started blushing, then told her, "I, um, I was walking around the roof, and I wasn't watching where I was going. My foot got caught in something, and when I tried to remove my foot, I must have pushed myself over the ledge."

Looking around, she that it was a piece of pipe that she had tripped over. It was big and round, and had been well hidden. No wonder she tripped over it. She tried to pick up the pipe, but it wouldn't budge. Kneeling before the pipe, she pointed to it, and stated, "_This_ is what I tripped over."

Jack knelt down, and examined the pipe himself. He tried to move it, and even he couldn't pick it up. It was made of very heavy steel. There was a wide opening, which was big enough for a foot to get stuck in it. "I can see how ya got yous foot in der. It's pretty snug."

"HEY, JACK! ARE YA COMING? OR ARE YA GONNA STAY UP DER ALL DAY?"

Looking over the ledge, he waved at his friends, and said to her, "I betta be going. I have ta sell me papes." 

He started down the fire escape, and she rushed to the side and said, "Wait."

Stopping, he looked up at her, and replied, "Yeah?"

"I don't even know your name," she protested.

"Me friends call me Jack Kelly," he said as he smiled at her.

"Well, Jack. My friends call me Sally Richards."

"Nice ta meet ya, Sally. I's talk ta ya later," he remarked as he started back down the steps.

"Yeah, later," she called after him.

She watched him as he walked down and disappeared into the crowd. That day, she felt like she had met a friend, but for some reason, it seemed like she knew him already. 'Why is that? I haven't been to here in four years. Anyone that knew me has probably moved away by now.'

"Oh, well," she said out loud. "Better get inside and practice some more."

******

Jack and David walked down the street, and arrived at their spot. They sold at the bridge most days, and it looked like it was going to be a good day. After their first round of customers were taken care of, they both sat down on the edge of the pier, and watched the people going by.

"What was that all about?" David asked, curious about that morning.

"What was what all about?" Jack asked, confused.

"Well, one minute, we're talking about my sister, and then next, you're running up a fire escape to save a girl from getting killed."

"Oh," he murmured. "She tripped over a pipe, and fell over da ledge."

"Is she ok now?"

"Yeah, she's seems fine," he said, though he acted like something was wrong.

"What's wrong, Jack? You're still not brooding over Sarah, are you?"

"No, dat's not it."

"Then, what is?"

"After I lifted her from da ledge, I looked at her, and I could have _sworn_ I knew her," Jack stated.

"Who did you think it was?"

"It was before ya became a newsie. It was four years ago, and der was dis goil I knew. She lived in da same building as I did, and we was friends. We was always talking about things. Things went all normal for years, until four years ago. During da summer, when I came back from da store, I saw dat people were taking stuff out of her apartment. I looked around ta find out what was goin' on, but no one would tell me anything, and I couldn't find her parents or her," he explained. Looking away, he said, sadly, "I never did find out what happened ta her."

"Oh, Jack. I'm sorry," David said, quietly, placing his hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Dat's alright. It was four years ago, and its time ta move on," Jack said, putting a smile on his face. Standing up, he commented, "We's betta get back ta selling. Da crowds are coming back."

David looked unconvinced, but he didn't say anything. Grabbing his papers from ground, he followed him as he started walking into the crowds.

******

Later on that day, everyone met up at Tibby's for lunch. It was noisier than usual because there was a group of girls sitting on the other side of the restaurant. The guys kept looking at the group, and each one had their eyes on each girl. Jack was sipping his drink when he heard his name being called, "Jack!"

He looked up, and saw Sally. Smiling, he waved at her, and stood up when she arrived. When she arrived at their table, she smiled at him, and he asked, "Whatcha doing here?"

"What, I can't come in here to get something to eat?" She teased him.

"Yeah, ya can," he replied, blushing a little.

"I came over to thank you for saving me this morning," she said as she patted him on his shoulder.

"You're welcome," he told her, turning crimson. The guys at his table started hooting and hollering, making him turn a deeper red. "Do ya want ta sit down?"

"Sure," she replied, scooting into the booth with Jack sitting on the outside. He introduced them to everyone at the table: Race, Skittery, Mush, and Spot.

"So, Sally, didja just move here?" Race asked, leaning his elbows on the table as he kept looking towards the group of girls.

"Yeah. I'm in an orchestra that travels around the country, year by year."

"Dat sounds like fun," Skittery commented. "What instrument do ya play?"

"I play the trumpet," she replied. Getting a proud smile on her face, she stated, "I play _first_ chair in the trumpets, though."

"Dat's a big accomplishment," Spot stated. Compliments from Spot were rare, so they guys knew he was being honest.

"Thanks."

"So, Sally," Jack started slowly. Finally, getting the courage, he asked, "Would ya like me ta show ya around da city?"

"Jack, you should know that this isn't my first time in the city. I used to live here four years ago," Sally told him.

"Four years ago?" Jack asked, a little surprised, remembering his friend again.

"Yeah, I used to live down the street from here, in that big brick apartment building. I had a friend that lived there. Wonder what happened to him," she said her last comment softly as she looked out the window.

"Who was yous friend?" Jack asked, apprehensively.

Not looking back, she replied, sighing a little, "His name was Francis Sullivan."

Jack's eyes widened when he heard his old name. Looking at his friends, he knew that they knew the same this. Sally Richards was his old friend. Quietly, he motioned for them to leave the table, hoping they would. 

Standing up, they quickly mumbled about something they had forgotten and walked away from the table. Sally looked back at the table, and realized that she was alone with Jack. She tried to get up, since it seemed like it was time for them to leave, but Jack placed his hand on her arm, so she would sit back down. Looking back at him, she had a questioning look on her face. "What 's going on, Jack?"

"I have something ta tell ya."

"And what is that?"

"Ya said dat yous friend was Francis Sullivan?"

"Yeah," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "So what?"

"What would ya do if ya found yous friend again?" He asked, looking her in the eyes.

"I would be happy, and find out how he's been," she stated.

"Well, I'm Francis Sullivan," he told him as he waited for her reaction.

"No, it's not," she refused to believe. "It's Jack Kelly."

"That's me name now, but my name is Francis Sullivan. I changed me name after me fadder was put inta prison, and I became a newsie."

Looking at Jack, she tried to remember all she could about Francis. She remembered that he had deep brown eyes that she always loved to look into. There was always something warm and inviting when she looked into his eyes. Also, when he smiled, it was like she was coming home. 

After looking at him for a minute or so, she realized that this was her Francis. She realized that he had changed so much, in the last four years that she hadn't recognized him. Throwing his arms around him, she hugged him tightly. This was happy moment for her because she was seeing her friend again.

"Francis, how have you been?"

"Can ya please call me Jack. I haven't used dat name in years," Jack pleaded.

"Sure, Jack," she said with a smile.

"I should be da one asking about ya. What happened four years ago? Where did ya go?"

A frown went across her face and she looked down at her hands, which were clutched together. Jack lifted her chin, so that she would look him the eyes, and he saw there were faint glimmers in of tears in her eyes. "What happened?"

"Oh, Jack," she moaned. "I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't."

"What do ya mean?" He inquired, lowering his hand.

"You know that my father was on the police squad, right?" He nodded and she continued. "Well, he was in this real big case with the mayor, and it kept him occupied. He was guarding something valuable, but he never told us what it was. One day, he came home from work in a hurry, and told us we had to leave quickly. There was only enough time to get a few things packed before he pushed out of the building and to the train station. It wasn't until a few days later that we found out that someone had been watching him."

"What?!" Jack responded. "Why would someone wanta ta follow yous fadder?"

"I don't know," she protested. "He never told us anything. Keeping everything a secret was important to him. He wouldn't tell us because he didn't want to bring any danger to us."

"All he wanted was to keep ya both safe," Jack commented.

"Well, he did a good job at that. He told us we would be back as soon as this thing was over, maybe a year or so. When it turned into four years, I couldn't take it anymore. I asked him if I could join the orchestra, so at least I could travel. I've been with this group for the last few months."

"Good, at least ya got out of der."

"Yup," she said and smiled. Looking over his shoulder, she saw someone waving at her, and frowned. Jack looked back, and saw the same thing. "Time for ya ta go?" 

She nodded, and he got up out of the booth. Once she was standing, she hugged Jack one more time, and walked over to the group of girls. Jack watched her until she was sitting down, then turned and walked out of the restaurant.

******

"Who was that?" one of the girls asked.

"That was a friend of mine. We used to live next door to each other until my father had to move us," Sally stated.

"That's Francis!" she asked, turning to look back at him, but she missed him since he had already left.

"Yeah, but he likes to be called Jack now. I think he's a newsie.

"Oh, wow. A newsie. I saw a lot of them in here, and were they cute. One of them looked like a boy I knew back home," a far away look on the girls faces.

They all nodded because they had each seen a newsie who had looked like a friend or someone they had known. It was weird because they didn't know what had happened to any of them.

"Sharon, why don't you go look for this newsie? Why don't you all?"

"What? We can't do that," they all protested.

"Aw, come on," Sally contested. "We can do anything we want. We don't have to hide because we're women. If we see what we want, we have to fight for it. That's the same with everything in this world."

Nodding, they all decided to go after their newsie, whether it was ladylike or not. Getting up from their seats, they went outside and in search for their newsie.

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